Sketching our Prayers: Practicing Lament
We are all carrying burdens we can bring to God in lament. Some burdens are personal; we carry guilt from broken relationships, shame from past abuse, or grief for loved ones who died too soon. Some burdens are corporate; we may join with others in deep sadness, empathy, or compassion for a particular group of people. And now we are all carrying this universal burden of the coronavirus.
Corporate Lament
We allow our emotions to be formed by Jesus in corporate worship by singing the Psalms and praying intercessions as a corporate body. Lament softens our hearts towards the objects of our prayers and teaches us to grieve with the community. For as Michael Card says, “Until we learn to lament, we have nothing to say to most of the world” (A Sacred Sorrow).
Why Lament in Worship
Lament is expressing sorrow to God and asking hard questions in the face of trial. It is all over the Bible but is missing from the modern worship service.
